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User blog:LB
The Great War saw the last great ship-to-ship battles in history; where you could see your enemy and feel the thunder as they all fired. No carriers, no planes: just Grand Old Battleships and escorts duking it out with some elbow grease. So, we have two of the Grandest Admirals to come out of this war now ready to battle it out and show us who finally rules the waves! John Jellicoe, the man who led the Royal Grand Fleet through the destruction at Jutland and later First Sea Lord; and Alexander Kolchak, Commander of the Baltic Fleet, and later General and Supreme Ruler of Russia. John Jellicoe |-| Bio = Sir John Jellicoe was a British Navy Admiral. Having joined the Navy in 1872, Jellicoe had already racked up more than 40 year of Naval Experience by the time the Great War broke out in 1914. At the time he was just the Second Sea Lord, but when the war broke out he was promoted to Admiral and given command of the British Grand Fleet. This was the position he was holding when Jellicoe was drawn towards a trap set up by the German Naval Command, hoping they could take advantage of the British instinct to be aggressive and trap a piece of the Grand Fleet and destroy it, securing command of the waves. However, the tables had been turned against the Germans after their codes had been broken in late 1914. Despite not knowing what the entire German plan was, Jellicoe took his fleet and set up camp near Norway, a position where they could intercept the incoming German Fleet while having the most options of how to deal with them when they arrived. When the Germans arrived, the Battle of Jutland began. 99 Germans Vessels went head-to-head with 151 British Vessels for a day's worth of almost non-stop combat. However, the tide turned when Jellicoe caught German Admiral Scheer off-guard when he crossed the T, sending his fleet perpendicular to Scheer's; which caught the German's unprepared and offguard, sending them into a retreat. However, Jellicoe did not give direct chase, and that ended the majority of the day's action. When night-time fell, Jellicoe was well aware of the Grand Fleet's deficiency when it came to night fighting, and set up screens made of destroyers to report any sightings of the German fleet so they could avoid a pitched battle. However, this caution was also a mistake, as during the night an hours long firefight at the rear was suspected to just be probing German Light Vessels... when in fact it was the German Heavy Ships smashing their way through the screens. This was not reported back to Jellicoe, as the lower levels assumed he could see what was happening and just didn't want to reveal the full position. This happened several other times, with Jellicoe not wanting to reveal his full fleet position by opening fire at piecemeal German Vessels. The German Fleet eventually succeeded in escaping, as the Admiralty had also failed in sending several important radio intercepts Jellicoe's way. Jellicoe recieved a promotion to First Sea Lord in November of 1916, where during meetings regarding the U-Boat threat he took a constant pessimistic view that nothing could be done to fully combat the threat. It was during htis time that the British Government had recieved complaints about Jellicoe from First Lord of the Admiralty Gedes who was wanting his old job back in France, and they had a choice to make: They could either fire Jellicoe or risk losing Geddes. In the end, Jellicoe resigned. In 1918, it was decided there would be an attempt to create a united naval command in the Mediterannean in an attempt to combat what was thought to be the Bolshevik Naval threat with the ongoing Civil War; with Jellicoe at the head. The French threw in their weight behind the idea, but the Italian Refusual killed that idea. He was Governor-General of New Zealand for 4 years of 1920-1924, and officially retired. He died in 1935 at 75 years of age. |-| Perception = Despite inflicting rather heavy casualties upon the German forces, Jutland was never the Victory the British Government or Public were wanting. They were wanting a second Trafalgar, what they got was a questionable victory or even a draw. Jellicoe was heavily attacked by even his own Command for his caution in letter Scheer escape, as they believed that giving chase would have destroyed the German Fleet, giving Britain un-conflicted supremacy. However, in the eyes of many this failed to give credit to Scheer, who pulled off the nigh-Impossible while trying to avoid the main fleet during his escape. Several other flaws were given by the British self-critique: 1) British Armor Piercing Shells were flawed, often exploding outside the ships armor rather than piercing and then exploding: so 8-inches of armor would often stop 15-in shells. 2) Communication was awful. For most of the Battle, it is believed Jellicoe didn't even know where the enemy fleet was, as captains didn't report positions when contacted, alongside using outdated methods of communication. So, as time has gone on, the blame placed on Jellicoe has lessened from what it was in the immediate aftermath. Grand Fleet |-| Battleship = HMS Iron Duke The HMS Iron Duke was the Flagship of the Grand Fleet during the battle of Jutland, where she nearly destroyed the SMS Konig during the opening of the battle. She also was Flagship of the Mediterranean Fleet, and partook in both the Allied Intervention in Russia, the Greco-Turkish War, and served as an Anti-Aircraft Platform during World War II. *5 x 2 (5 Turrets of 2 Guns) 13.5 inch Guns *12 x 1 6-inch Guns *2 x 1 3-Inch Guns (AA) *4 x 1 1.9-Inch Guns *2 x 2 21-Inch Torpedo Tubes ---- *12 Inch Belt Armor *2.5 Inch Deck Armor *Speed: 24.5 MPH |-| Cruiser 1 = HMS Duke of Edinburgh The HMS Duke of Edinbrgh was orignally in the Mediterranean, where it was a member of the fleet that chased the SMS Goeben and the SMS Breslau before transferring to the Red Sea for troop escort. It was then sent to the Grand Fleet and fough at Jutland... where she was the only survivor of her squadron. She spent the rest of the war doing escort and was scrapped in 1920. *6 x 1 9.2-Inch Guns *10 x 1 6-Inch Guns (Casemates) *20 x 1 1.85-Inch Guns *3 x 1 17.72-In Torpedo Tubes ---- *3-6 Inches Belt Armor *.75-1.5 Inches Deck Armor *Speed: 26 MPH |-| Cruiser 2 = HMS Calliope The HMS Calliope was assigned to the Grand Fleet from the get-go, and during the battle of Jutland was hit several times by German Battleships. She spent the rest of the war in the North Sea, before finishing her career in North America and as a troop transport before being scrapped in 1931. Appears to be prone to Boiler Room fires. *4 6-Inch Guns *2 3-Inch Guns *1 Machine Gun *2 21-Inch Torpedo Tubes ---- *~ 3 Inch Belt Armor *1 Inch Deck Armor *Speed: 32 MPH |-| Destroyer Escort = HMS Owl HMS Porpoise HMS Hardy Specs for all 3 *3 x 1 4-Inch Guns *1 x 1 1.6-Inch Gun *2 x 1 21-Inch Torpedo Tubes ---- *Rather Thin All-round Armor (Unknown Specs) *Speed: 36 MPG Alexander Kolchak |-| Bio = Alexander Kolchak was a Imperial Russian Admiral, Naval Hero, and later Supreme Ruler of Russia during the Russian Civil War. Kolchak started his military service after graduating from Naval College in 1894, and first became well-known during the Russo-Japanese War as during the Battle of Port Arthur his valiant command of a coastal artillery battery and subsequent capture by the Japanese made headlines. His upon repatriation he was awarded the Golden Sword of St. George. When World War I broke out, Kolchak was in the Gulf of Riga, where he was in his element laying defensive plans and making minefields. However, his commander wasn't satisfied with sitting around, so Kolchak was tasked with drawing up plans for a Russian Naval Offensive into German Territory. However, he'd never send ships to undertake a mission he personally wouldn't, so he was with the flotillas the entire time. Then, in 1916 he was promoted to replace an overly cautious Admiral in the black sea. His mission: destroy the U-Boats in the area, destroy Turkish shipping, support General Yudenish in his offensive against the Turks, and invade the Bosphorus. He succeeded in all but the latter. Then, the February Revolution broke and... Kolchak was relieved of Command. The Provisional Government ask Kolchak his advice on the situation, and his reply was simple: The Army and Navy have no morale, so we need to restore discipline within our forces by re-instating harsh punishments... maybe even capital punishment. It was around this time that several Russian Newspapers and secret organizations started circulating rumors that Kolchak may soon become Dictator of the Country. When this reached Minister Kerensky, he wouldn't stand for it. He immediately sent Kolchak to the United States to brief them on a potential American-led invasion of the Bosphorous using his old plans. This plan was officially scrapped before he even arrived. Kolchak was in Japan when the Bolsheviks revolted in October. He viewed the Provisional Government's withdrawal from the Allied cause as Dishonorable, and he immediately offered to enlist in the British Army to continue the struggle. The British almost accepted his request, but the Foreign Office decided he could do more by actively attempting to topple Lenin, so off he went to join the White Governments cabinet. However, a British-backed Coup-d'etat occured and Kolchak suddenly found himself not only in charge of the Siberian Government, but also with emergency powers and the title Supreme Ruler. His first act: promote himself to full admiral, and he then set the stage for the persecution and imprisonment of Bolsheviks and Socialists in his state. He was approached by the British, and offered terms for their full support. He accepted all of them, except the independence of Finland, saying it was not his job to grant such things. In return, Britain pressed for the other Allies to support Kolchak's government, however they lost enthusiam when President Woodrow Wilson refused to support Kolchak upon the advice of former President Kerensky. His attacks against the Bolsheviks were initially successful, but that ended when he outran his supply lines in 1919, and his front collapsed under a newly rejuvinated Red Army. His policies had aroused the dislike of several key players in the game: the Czech Legion and the Polish 5th Rifles, both of whom declared their sudden neutrality and refused to give him aid. The Japanese refused to aid him out of fear he'd stop their annexation of Russian Territories, and the Americans under General Graves refused to lend him aid out of both the General's will and Wilson's orders. Kolchak was alone. Under increasing pressure, Kolchak resigned his position in 1920, and then boarded a train for Irktusk under the guard of the Czech Legion, who had guaranteed him safe passage there. However, it was slow going as insurgents constantly attacked the train on it's way East. So, the Legion made a decision. With the approval of French General Janin (their advisor/pseudo-commander), the Legion stopped and handed Kolchak over to local revolutionaries, who handed him over to the Bolsheviks. Despite an order to the Contrary coming straight from Moscow, Kolchak was executed by firing squad on the 20th of January, 1920. He was 45 years old. |-| Perception = Kolchak's legacy is rather spotty, and divides historians to this day. His government was rather substandard, and his inability to communicate and coordinate with other White Commanders spelled failure for his front. His inability to get any foreign recognition or even extremely Anti-Soviet Finland to join his cause paint a picture of sad sack of a man unable to govern or even command an army to victory. However, those who worked with him present a different picture: they paint the portrait of a man who would do anything for his country without any regard to his own reward or safety, a man who was so deeply patriotic that he'd work with anyone regardless of party or views, as long as they shared a common goal of the restoration of the Russian Government. A man with flaws and a need to speak, but finding himself unable to do so. Whatever the correct view, Kolchak was one of the first names up for rehabilitation, and it was denied twice in the early 2000s. However, the movement regained steam again with the release of the movie Admiral, a movie portraying Kolchak as a tragic hero caught in turmoil. His case again waits within the depths of the Russian Courts. Despite what happened to him in life, Kolchak may yet get a happy ending... Black Sea Fleet |-| Battleship = Imperatritsa Ekaterina Velikaya The Imperatritsa Ekaterina Velikaya was a Russian Dreadnought who served in the Black Sea during WWI. She was sidelined during the February Revolution, and captured by the Soviets. However, she was scuttled after the Germans demanded her as a part of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk. *4 x 3 12-Inch Guns *18 x 1 5.1-Inch Guns *3 x 1 3-Inch Guns *4 x 1 17.7-Inch Torpedo Tubes ---- *6-10 Inches Belt Armor *.5-1.5 Inch Deck Armor *Speed: 24 MPH |-| Cruiser 1 = Pamiat' Merkuria The Pamiat' Merkuria was a Protected Cruiser of the Black Sea Fleet, and she fought in the Russian Civil War; but was captured by the Soviets and put into service as a training cruiser. She fought in WWII until being sunk as a breakwater in 1942. *2 x 2; 8 x 1 6-Inch Guns *12 x 1 3-Inch Guns *8 x 1 1.9-Inch Guns *2 x 1 37mm Guns *2 x 1 15-Inch Torpedo Tubes ---- *3.1 Inch Casemate Armor *3.1 Inch Deck Armor |-| Cruiser 2 = Prut The Cruiser Prut was originally built as the Ottoman Cruiser Mecidiye. She operated in the Black Sea, until she was sunk by a naval mine around Odessa. The Russians raised the vessel and renamed it Prut. It was then captured by the Germans and renamed Mecidiye, before being given to the Ottomans. It spent the rest of it's career in the Turkish Navy until 1947. *6 x 1 5.12-inch Guns *4 x 1 5.12-inch Guns *4 x 1 75mm Guns (AA) ---- *Unknown Armor *20 MPH |-| Destroyer Escort = Derzky Gnevny (No Image) Pronzitelny (No Image) Specs for all 3 *3 x 1 4.0-Inch Guns *2 x 1 1.9-Inch Guns (AA) *4 x 1 Machine Guns *5 x 2 18-Inch Torpedo Tubes ---- *Unknown Armor *Speed: 39 MPH Notes As probably inferred, this will be a 6 v 6 Scenario set in open waters dotten with a few islands but no coastline. Other than that, I'd like to give a shout out to Tybalt for the advice for this battle, helping me replace the Mad Baron with Admiral Jellicoe. My last note is that I'm cutting out an episode or two of the Series, so the next fight will be Bullard v Richtofen, and Meyer v Gunther. Then, since Appel requested it, I'll do a special involving all the Leaders of WWII in their WWI incarnation. Category:Blog posts